Safe In Your Arms
by MasterFirebender84
Summary: After his battle with Yakone, Aang is shaken up at the fact he was nearly killed by Yakone's Bloodbending. Toph suggests that he should go home & spend time with Katara and his children. Taking his friend's advice, Aang returns home to find his wife resting outside. After waking her, he tells her about what happened with Yakone. How will she react to what has recently happened?


This is a little Kataang piece I wanted to do after watching Episode 9 of _The Legend of Korra_, "Out of the Past". As the summary said, it's set after the battle Aang had with Yakone. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this story, and be sure to review!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender". The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it. I also do not own "The Legend of Korra" or any of the characters associated with it. I am merely a fanboy with a passionate love for this series.

**Safe In Your Arms**

"Aang!" The Avatar looked behind him to see Toph sprinting towards him, her Metalbender cop uniform creaking with each step she took. She came to a stop next to him, breathlessly panting as her milky eyes widened. Aang figured she must have felt Yakone, who was trapped in a cone of earth nearby, his head held down in defeat. Finally catching her breath, Toph simply said, "Let me guess: you took his bending away?"

Aang's eyes widened in surprise at her quick deduction. "How did you know?"

Toph grunted as she slyly smirked, saying, "Just as I thought. You haven't changed a bit, Twinkletoes: bringing down the baddies and taking their bending away." Aang managed a small smile, though his smile fell when he looked back at Yakone, thinking back on how Yakone had grotesquely twisted his body in an attempt to kill him.

Toph noticed a disturbing change in Aang's physical being, her smirk falling as a troubled look came over her hardened face. For some reason, it felt like Aang was terrified, as if he had had a close brush with death. Four years before, her own husband had been brutally murdered by another Bloodbender during a full moon. She had been in the area at the time but was too far away to save him in time; however, the physical signs he gave off before his death were extremely similar to the ones Aang was giving off now. "What's wrong, Aang? What happened?"

Aang heavily sighed, looking down as he closed his eyes. "Yakone…he…" He trailed off, remembering how utterly ruthless and vengeful Yakone had been in his attempt to outright murder him in cold blood.

"He _what_, Aang?" concernedly asked Toph, wanting clear answer from her friend. "What did he do?" Panic began to set into her heart, and she desperately prayed that Aang wasn't going to say what she thought he was going to say.

Aang built up his resolve, opening his eyes to their normal size as he looked up at Toph. "Yakone tried to kill me with his Bloodbending."

Toph's eyes shot wide open with total, unrestrained shock, her mouth falling open slightly. "_What_?" she barely managed to get out, her voice strained with astonishment. "He tried to _kill_ you?" Aang's only response was a solemn nod, his expression deeply grave. Her mind instantly went back to the legendary city of Ba Sing Se twenty-eight years earlier, when Aang had been killed by Azula's vicious lighting. They had gotten lucky back then because of the Spirit Water that Katara had used to save him, but this…this was almost too much for her to take.

"He almost succeeded, too," grimly added Aang. "I was just barely able to break free of his control. If I hadn't activated the Avatar State in time…I'd be dead right now."

Toph's stunned shock turned to burning outrage, angrily gritting her teeth as her fists tightly clenched together. Stomping her foot, she collapsed the earthen cone entrapping Yakone. Thrusting a clawed hand forward, she loosed a metal cable from her hip canister, ensnaring Yakone in her cable and trapping him in her grasp. Securely tightening the cable so that Yakone couldn't escape, Toph viciously growled, "I'll make sure this low-life scum never sees the light of day ever again."

"Toph, calm down," gently soothed Aang, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to hurt him."

"I'm not going to hurt him," stated Toph, bringing Yakone down to his knees, her milky eyes burning with unbridled rage. "I'm going to lock this filth up for the rest of his miserable life. He's never going to hurt any of my friends ever again!" Yakone had the nerve to not only use his Bloodbending on her, lifting her off the floor and floating her over towards him so that she could free him back at City Hall, but he also had the gall to try and outright murder one of her best friends. To say she was outraged would be a grim understatement; she was absolutely _livid_.

"Toph, just calm down," reiterated Aang, trying his hardest to calm his friend. "I'm fine now. Yakone can't hurt me or anyone else ever again." Squeezing her armor-plated shoulder, he added, "Now please calm down before you do something you'll regret."

"The only thing I'm going to do is throw this slime in prison," snarled Toph, hatred raging throughout her entire being. Despite what she was saying, she so desperately wanted to crush Yakone with her metal cables, to make him suffer for his atrocities. She had already lost her beloved husband to one Bloodbender, and now she had nearly lost one of her closest friends to another Bloodbender. Without even realizing it, her metal cable began to slowly constrict Yakone, making the criminal painfully groan.

Sensing the darkness rising within Toph and hearing Yakone in pain, Aang said, "Toph, I know you hate Yakone from what he's done, but you need to let your anger go. If you don't, you might kill him." Hearing no response from his friend, he tried another approach. "Think about Lin, Toph. Do you really want your daughter to grow up knowing that you killed someone?"

Toph's eyes instantly widened at the mention of Lin, forcing herself to halt the constricting of her metal cable. Her little Earthbending eight year-old girl meant the world to her, and she would rather die than become a monster in Lin's eyes. Letting her gaze fall to the ground below, she quietly said, "No, I don't."

"Then let your anger go," calmly advised Aang. "I know it's impossible for you to forgive Yakone, but you need to let your anger go." His voice became soft and pleading as he quietly said, "Please, Toph."

The Chief of Police lifted her head up, gazing in Yakone's direction and narrowing her eyes in a heated glare at the former Bloodbender. From what she could feel, his head was still hung down, as if he had resigned himself to his fate. He was no longer a threat to her or her friends, a fact that relaxed the tension inside of her as she opened her eyes to their full size and tiredly sighed. She expelled all of her poisonous thoughts, banishing them from her mind and leaving her being with a sense of vivid clarity. Her body relaxed, taut muscles loosening as she stood up to her full height. She kept her arm extended in order to maintain control over her metal cable.

Aang smiled and took his hand off of her shoulder, returning his arm to its place beneath his robes as he gratefully said, "Thank you, Toph."

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you, Twinkletoes," she wittily countered as she shrewdly smirked, eliciting a light-hearted chuckle from the Avatar. Letting a serious expression plaster itself on her visage, she firmly said, "Go home, Twinkletoes. I've got everything under control now."

"Are you sure you won't need my help anymore?" questioned Aang with a raised eyebrow.

"Give me a little credit, Twinkletoes," scoffed Toph. "I invented Metalbending, remember?" Placing a proud hand on her plated chest, she added, "I'm pretty sure I can handle one ex-Bloodbender on my own, thank you very much."

"If you say so…" muttered Aang with a slight shrug as Toph dropped her hand from her chest, rolling his eyes at Toph's stubbornness.

The Avatar turned around to face back towards City Hall, just beginning to walk as Toph said, "Wait." He stopped and looked back at Toph as she said, "I'm glad you're not dead, Twinkletoes." He could just see the corner of her mouth lift up in a small smile, making him smile along with her.

"So am I, Toph," sincerely said Aang, returning his attention to the road in front of him. Getting a running start, Aang jumped up and summoned his signature Air Scooter. He landed on the large sphere of air and sped off down the streets of Republic City, weaving his way towards the bay and leaving Toph alone with Yakone.

When he reached the edge of the boardwalk along the bay, Aang hopped his Air Scooter into the waters of Yue Bay. He effortlessly glided across the surface of the water with graceful ease, his robes fluttering in the breeze as he sped towards his home: Air Temple Island. Aang knew he was going to have to tell Katara about what had happened during his battle with Yakone; she deserved to know, after all. When they had first started dating at the end of the War, they had vowed to never keep secrets from one another, a vow that still survived to this day.

When he reached the stone dock that jutted out from the Island, Aang jumped off of his Air Scooter and let it dissipate as he landed on the dock. He made his way up to the Temple grounds, trying desperately to think of someway to break the news to Katara that he had been nearly killed today.

"Daddy!" cried out a gleeful, estatic voice as he reached the top of the stairs to the main Temple grounds. Aang looked up to see his daughter, Kya, running towards him, the happy sound of laughter pouring out of her mouth as she ran. His little Waterbending girl was thirteen years old and had many of her mother's physical characteristics: tan skin, blue eyes, and dark brown hair that was tied up in several braids. However, she had her father's smile, loving heart, and cheerful disposition. She was dressed in a simple blue tunic, much like the kind her mother had worn twenty-eight years before.

Aang gently smiled as he stooped down and scooped up Kya in his arms, standing back up as she hugged his neck. Chuckling as he kissed her head and set her back on the ground, Aang said, "Hi, sweetheart."

"I missed you, Daddy," murmured Kya as she hugged her father's legs, eliciting a soft smile from Aang as he affectionately patted her head. Kya was extremely fond of her father, always wanting to show him just how much she loves him. Despite her being a blooming teenager, she was never embarrassed to call him 'Daddy'. She was just so used to calling him that that it was nearly impossible for her to even consider breaking that cycle.

"I missed you too, Kya," lovingly replied Aang as his daughter let go of his legs, taking his hand in hers as she sweetly smiled up at him. "Do you know where everyone's at?" Since he already knew where his daughter was, he wanted to know the whereabouts of his wife, his sons, and Lin, who Katara had agreed to watch for Toph while she was away at the trial.

"Umm…" hummed Kya, pouting her lip in a thoughtful manner. "I think Tenzin and Lin are feeding the Sky Bison over at the corrals, and Bumi's in the dining hall eating lunch." Aang shook his head as he chuckled; Tenzin and Lin were completely inseparable as playmates, and Bumi had most certainly adopted his uncle's eating habits.

"What about your mother?" inquired Aang. "Do you know where she is?"

"Uh huh," affirmatively nodded Kya. Pointing towards the left side of the Island, she said, "Mom's relaxing out by the Meditation Pavilion."

"Is that so?" questioned Aang as he raised an eyebrow, a playful smile taking hold of his lips.

"Yep!" chirped Kya with a bright smile. "C'mon," she urged, pulling him in the direction of the Meditation Pavilion, "I'll show you!"

"Alright, alright," chuckled Aang, giving in and letting his little girl pull him along. "Lead the way, sweetie." He couldn't help but smile down at his daughter as she pulled him along. As the eldest child, she held a special place in his heart. Of course, all of his children held a special place in his heart, especially Tenzin, but Kya was his and Katara's firstborn. He still remembered the day he first held Kya in his arms, how he happily smiled down at her with teary eyes as he held her precious little body.

Soon, the two of them drew near the Meditation Pavilion, where Aang could see Katara sitting in the center of the Pavilion. She was facing out towards the bay, her back to the two of them as they approached. She seemed to be in a relaxed state, her drooped shoulders along with the steady rise and fall of her body a clear indication to Aang. She was dressed in her usual Water Tribe tunic, her long hair gracefully flowing down her back. Even when she wasn't facing him, Aang thought that she was still the most beautiful thing in the whole world.

"Mom, Mom!" called out Kya as she drug her father towards her mother. Katara turn her head around to look at them with a curious look as Kya happily said, "Daddy's home!"

"I can see that, sweetie," warmly chuckled Katara, getting up and brushing herself off before making her way over to her husband. Aang let go of Kya's hand and met Katara halfway, the two of them fondly embracing each other. Softly kissing Aang's cheek, Katara sweetly whispered, "I missed you, honey."

His smile broadening as he felt her lightly squeeze him with her arms, Aang whispered in reply, "I wasn't gone that long, darling."

"I miss you every minute you're gone," softly said Katara, nuzzling her face into his cheek. "You know that."

"I do," quietly said Aang, smiling against her, "but I'm back now." He too kissed her on the cheek, making her affectionately hum as they separated from one another.

"How did the trial go, Daddy?" curiously asked Kya, drawing both of her parents' eyes towards her. "Did Uncle Sokka and the Council find him guilty of being a Bloodbender?"

"Yes, they did," affirmatively nodded Aang, "but…" He trailed off and glanced off to his right, recalling the moment when Yakone unleashed his unique Bloodbending powers on the whole assembly. Katara sensed a change in Aang's demeanor, which seemed to shift from cordial and friendly to somber and grim. A worried crease appeared on her brow, her lips curving downward in a concerned frown.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" worriedly asked Kya, frowning just like her mother. "What happened?"

Aang didn't respond for a little while, trying to gather his thoughts. Finally, he looked down at Kya and smiled as he said, "Why don't you go look after Tenzin and Lin? I'd feel a lot better if you were watching those two." Tenzin and Lin were known to get into all sorts of mischief together. For some reason, Lin helped Tenzin to open up, a fact that both Aang and Katara were grateful for. However, that openness tended to land the two of them in trouble a lot.

Kya pouted her protest, but nevertheless mumbled, "Okay, Daddy." She quickly hugged her father's legs before running off towards the Sky Bison corral, leaving Aang and Katara to watch their little girl go.

"What happened, Aang?" asked Katara once Kya was out of sight, drawing her husband's attention towards her. "Something bad happened at the trial, didn't it?"

Knowing he couldn't hide something this big from Katara, Aang stepped forward and took both of her hands in his, gently squeezing them. "Yakone escaped from City Hall using his Bloodbending."

"I knew it," growled Katara, glancing down to her left with narrow eyes. "I just _knew_ he was a Bloodbender. I should have been there to help you and the others."

"Katara," said Aang, making her eyes drift back up towards him, "there's no way I would ever allow you to be in the same room as Yakone."

"I could have at least done _something_!" retorted Katara, blaming herself for not going to the trial with Aang. "I knew I should have gone with you!"

"Yakone would have only used you against me," dismissed Aang, knowing that Yakone wouldn't have had any qualms about using his wife as a hostage. A sense of defeated acknowledgment crossed Katara's face, as if she knew that he was right but still hated to admit it.

Katara heavily sighed, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against his, knowing that he was right. She had wanted to be there by his side so badly, but he had been adamant in keep her here at home. She knew he was only trying to keep her safe, but it pained her to not be by his side when he was in trouble. "What happened after Yakone escaped?"

"I chased after him and stopped him," replied Aang, "but that's when…" His words faltered in his mouth, as if they didn't have the courage to come out of his mouth and reveal the truth to Katara. As badly as he wanted to disclose his near-death experience at the hands of Yakone, all of his fear began to coil up inside of him, threatening to burst at any moment.

"When what?" questioned Katara, becoming slightly frightened when Aang's voice had faltered. Her fear only increased in its magnitude when she felt his fingers tremble against hers, his shoulders shaking slightly, as if he were trying to hold back his emotions. Without warning, he fiercely embraced her, burying his face in her shoulder. "Aang, you're scaring me," shakily said Katara, hugging him back. "W-What happened when you stopped Yakone?"

Her heart nearly broke in half when she heard him begin to sob into her shoulder, as if all of his pent-up emotions were finally pouring out through his tears. "He…he tried to kill me with his Bloodbending," he managed to croak out through his tears, making Katara frightfully gasp. "I was just barely able to break free of his control. I trapped him and took away his bending." Sobbing even harder into her tunic, he brokenly said, "I was so scared, Katara. I've never been so terrified in my life. I…I thought I was going to die. I thought I was going to lose you and the kids…"

Despite the burning tears that stung at her own eyes, Katara tightly hugged her husband, rubbing his back as she soothingly whispered, "Shh, shh, sweetheart. It's alright. You're safe now. No one's going to take you away." Squeezing him even more tightly, she whispered, "I've got you now, honey. There's no need to cry anymore. I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise."

"I'm so sorry, Katara…" sobbingly murmured Aang into Katara's shoulder, hating himself for nearly dying, for nearly leaving behind one of the most important people in his life. He never wanted to hurt her again, and he knew his death would utterly break her. Over and over again, he continued to murmur, "I'm so sorry…" The tearful Waterbender gently pecked her husband's cheek in an attempt to calm him down, to quell the sadness and fear that raged in his heart.

Husband and wife simply stood there, him crying his heart out and her giving him as much comfort as she could. She even began to rock him back and forth, just like she would do with their own children when they were frightened. She continued to comfort him in the form of soft kisses and whispered words of love, trying anything she could to bring peace to the man she adored and cherished.

Finally, his sobs began to quiet down until he fell silent, still shaking as Katara kissed his cheek again. "All better now, sweetie?" she quietly asked him, keeping a tight grip on him to reassure him that she was still there for him.

Aang managed a small smile; she hadn't called him 'sweetie' in years. It was a cutesy, sweet pet name the two of them had used for each other back in the first few years of their romantic relationship, but it was a pet name that brought back many fond, wonderful memories. It reminded him of the late nights they would spend cuddling on Appa's back, of times when it was just the two of them in their boundless love for each other. All those past memories of brighter times helped to lift the darkness that had settled over his heart, giving him his strength back once more.

"I am now," he murmured against her shoulder, lifting his head up and pecking her cheek, "sweetie." She cutely smiled at his use of the old pet name, knowing that her use of it had had a positive effect on him. "Thank you, Katara," he gratefully said as he separated from her, wiping away the leftover tears from his face.

"You don't have to thank me, Aang," sincerely said Katara, taking hold of Aang's hands and bringing them down from his face as she kissed his tears away. "I'll always be here for you," she said in between kisses, "no matter what happens."

"I know," smiled Aang as she finished kissing his tears. He kissed her own tears in return as he said, "And I promise with everything I am that I'll never, _ever_ leave you like that."

"You better not," chuckled Katara as he finished kissing her tears, poking him in the chest with a stiff finger. "I'll kill you if you die on me first."

"I'd like to see you try," joked Aang, nuzzling his nose against Katara's, making her happily hum. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he began to walk the two of them towards the main Temple grounds. "Let's go gather up the kids," said Aang as they began to walk, smiling as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I want the two of us to spend some time with them after everything that's happened."

Katara merely nodded her agreement as she wrapped an arm around Aang's waist, simply letting herself enjoy being in the arms of her treasured husband. Even though he had nearly been taken from her today, she knew that this terrible event would only bring them closer together. Despite Bloodbending's horrendously awful nature, some good had come out of it today: she had come to value and cherish the man she had given her life and soul to even more than she already had. No matter what happened to them, she would never give up on him, not so long as her ocean of love for him remained filled to the brim.


End file.
